Western Roman Empire: Map & History
The dominant Mediterranean superpower of antiquity, encompassing over 5 million square kilometers across Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Levant.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
In modern historiography, the Western Roman Empire was the Roman Empire's western provinces collectively during any period in which they were administered separately from the eastern provinces by a separate, independent imperial court. Particularly from AD 395 to 476, there were separate, coequal courts dividing the governance of the empire into western and eastern provinces with a distinct imperial succession in the separate courts. The terms Western Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire were coined in modern times to describe political entities that were de facto independent; contemporary Romans did not consider the Empire to have been split into two empires but viewed it as a single polity governed by two imperial courts for administrative purposes. The Western Empire collapsed in 476, and the Western imperial court in Ravenna disappeared by 554, at the end of Justinian's Gothic War, marking one of the most transformative political changes during the era of late antiquity.
Modern Countries Once Part of Western Roman Empire
At its mapped extent, Western Roman Empire covered territory in 23 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Switzerland395–475 CE · nearly all
- Bosnia and Herzegovina395–454 CE · nearly all
- Luxembourg395–461 CE · nearly all
- Slovenia395–475 CE · nearly all
- Andorra395–475 CE · nearly all
- Liechtenstein395–475 CE · nearly all
- San Marino395–475 CE · nearly all
- Vatican (Holy See)395–475 CE · nearly all
- France395–475 CE · most
- Belgium395–461 CE · most
- Austria395–475 CE · most
- Portugal395–468 CE · most
- Italy395–475 CE · most
- Spain395–475 CE · most
- Tunisia395–442 CE · most
- Croatia395–475 CE · most
- Hungary395–450 CE · a large part
- United Kingdom395–409 CE · a large part
- Germany395–475 CE · a small part
- Netherlands395–438 CE · a small part
- Morocco395–438 CE · a small part
- Algeria395–442 CE · a small part
- Libya395–442 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Western Roman Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Western Roman Empire in Depth
History
Honorius, the younger son of Theodosius I, was declared Augustus (and as such co-emperor with his father) on 23 January in 393, at the age of 9. Upon the death of Theodosius, Honorius inherited the throne of the West at the age of ten whilst his older brother Arcadius inherited the East. The western capital was initially Mediolanum, as it had been during previous divisions, but it was moved to Ravenna in 401 upon the entry of the Visigothic king Alaric I into Italy. Ravenna, protected by abundant marshes and strong fortifications, was far easier to defend and had easy access to the imperial fleet of the Eastern Empire but made it more difficult for the Roman military to defend the central parts of Italy from regular barbarian incursions.
Legacy
As the Western Roman Empire crumbled, the new Germanic rulers who conquered its constituent provinces maintained most Roman laws and traditions. Many of the invading Germanic tribes were already Christianized, although most were followers of Arianism. They quickly changed their adherence to the state church of the Roman Empire. This helped cement the loyalty of the local Roman populations, as well as the support of the powerful Bishop of Rome. Although they initially continued to recognize indigenous tribal laws, they were more influenced by Roman law and gradually incorporated it. Roman law, particularly the Corpus Juris Civilis collected on the orders of Justinian I, is the basis of modern civil law. In contrast, common law is based on Germanic Anglo-Saxon law.
Background
As the Roman Republic expanded, it reached a point where the central government in Rome could not effectively rule the distant provinces. Communications and transportation were especially problematic given the vast extent of the Empire. News of invasion, revolt, natural disasters, or epidemic outbreak was carried by ship or mounted postal service, often requiring much time to reach Rome and for Rome's orders to be returned and acted upon. Therefore, provincial governors had de facto autonomy in the name of the Roman Republic. Governors had several duties, including the command of armies, handling the taxes of the province and serving as the province's chief houses.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Western Roman Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Western Roman Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Ravenna |
|---|---|
| Religion | Christianity |
| Form of government | autocracy, monarchy |
| Currency | Roman currency |
| Founded | 17 January 395 CE |
| Dissolved | 476 CE |
Preceded by
Succeeded by
- Kingdom of Italy
- Visigothic Kingdom of Tolosa
- Byzantine Empire
- Kingdom of the Suebi
- Vandal Kingdom
Facts from Wikidata Q42834 (CC0).
Western Roman Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Western Roman Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Forged from the Roman Republic following the civil wars of Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus, the Roman Empire unified the Mediterranean basin into "Mare Nostrum" (Our Sea). Its administrative genius lay in monumental civil infrastructure—over 80,000 kilometers of paved roads, monumental aqueducts, and legal codes codified in the Corpus Juris Civilis that remain foundational to modern Western jurisprudence.
Western Roman Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Octavian receives the title of Augustus, inaugurating the Roman imperial era.
Roman legions conquer Dacia and Mesopotamia, reaching peak extent of 5.0 million km².
Diocletian establishes the Tetrarchy, dividing administrative governance into East and West.
Constantine the Great consecrates Nova Roma on the Bosporus as the imperial seat.
Romulus Augustulus is deposed in Ravenna, marking the end of the Western Empire.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Codification of Roman civil law underpinning modern continental legal systems
- ✓Latin language evolution into French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian
- ✓Architectural breakthroughs including the hydraulic concrete dome and monumental arches
- ✓Establishment of urban networks from London (Londinium) to Cologne and Alexandria
Western Roman Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Western Roman Empire exist?
The Western Roman Empire is dated to 27 BCE – 476 CE (Western) / 1453 CE (Eastern), in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of the Western Roman Empire?
The capital of the Western Roman Empire was Rome (later Ravenna, Constantinople).
How large was the Western Roman Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 117 AD the Western Roman Empire covered about 2,133,725 km².